Who will give me the advice I need?
Your Personal Advisor (PA) will check what benefits you may be entitled to and advise you about what benefits may be available to you. They will also help you in any way they can to make the necessary claim.
What financial help can I get if I have my own child?
Money to live on
If you are aged 16 or over and you are a lone parent i.e. you are not living with a partner, then you may be eligible to claim Universal Credit for your own needs and Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for your child’s needs.
While you are pregnant (up to a year after the birth of your baby) you will also be entitled to NHS benefits e.g. free prescriptions, dental treatment and vitamins.
Maternity Grant
If you are getting a qualifying benefit e.g. Universal Credit and you are pregnant or you have given birth within the previous three months, then you may also be able to claim the Maternity Grant to help with the costs associated with having a baby. This is only available for your first baby.
What about having a passport?
Children in care and care leavers aged up to 25 are entitled to a passport. If you do not have one when you leave care this will be paid for by the council.
Can I get any financial help with arranging to maintain contact with my family?
If you are aged up to 18 years and are living in supported or semi-independent accommodation you may get some discretionary payments for contact. Provisional amounts are discussed at your review and are provisional until agreed by the Team Manager. It is meant to be a contribution towards the cost of maintaining contact with family or carers as discussed at either Pathway Planning meetings or looked after review.
For young people over 18 years, the Care Leavers Service will explore funding options with partners to aid support with travel costs to aid independent living and maintaining connections with family. This will be assessed as part of pathway planning. Please speak to your Personal Advisor for more information.
Is there any other financial help I can get?
Yes, for example:
- Provisional driving license
- Your first TV license
- Up to three theory and practical driving tests
If the local authority is unable to help you then we will find out whether there are any other sources of help for you.
If you have any further questions, please contact your Personal Advisor who will be happy to assist you further.